Toby Shelton, managing partner of FoxGardin, said the Fishers location opened on Feb. 14, with a strong turnout of guests.

“We saw a real opportunity and need for another restaurant in this area, and we made it happen,” Shelton said. “We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from the Fishers and Geist area. They love the neighborhood and community feel they experience when they come in.”

Scott Thoman, general manager of FoxGardin, said the kid-friendly menu has been a hit with both kids and their parents.

“We’ve had a lot of guests tell us they love the food, and so do their kids,” Thoman said. “People have said they also love the FoxGardin restaurant in Fortville, but this is closer to home for them. For a lot of guests, it feels like this is in their backyard. Some guests have told us they wanted to drive to Fortville but just didn’t make it. They appreciate how much closer the new place is.”

Jake Burgess, chef and owner of FoxGardin, said the adult menu at the new location (and the Fortville location at 215 S. Main St.,) features everything from hand-held customer favorites such as “The Fortville Tenderloin” (a midwest favorite,) to The Sulli (named after Jake’s best friend), a buffalo chicken sandwich.

Other hand-held favorites are the fish tacos with Chimichurri sour cream, fire-roasted salsa, shredded lettuce, and flour tortilla, The Troy, a bacon cheeseburger, the Ian, a smaller cheeseburger, The Horseshoe Cheeseburger, The Fried Bologna Sandwich and The Loaded Grilled Cheese. FoxGardin also has an “Unconventional Chili,” salads and a Jalapeño Bacon Beer Cheese Soup.

Burgess said all the soups are made from scratch and the pastas are hand-made.

Popular entrees include the pork ribeye, the meatloaf, the Chilean sea bass, shrimp alfredo, lasagna and hand-cut filet mignon, ranging from six ounces to the huge, 14-ounce “Eddie”. There is also a smaller filet called “The Evie”, named after Shelton’s daughter.

“Evie loves having a filet mignon named after her,” he said.

Thoman stated that an older couple from Fort Wayne told him the filets were the best they ever had.

“You love hearing that kind of thing,” Thoman said. “That never gets old. We have also had several parents tell us they love the food for their kids.”

The children’s menu features smaller portions with fresh, quality ingredients.

“A lot of parents have told me they didn’t know their kids could eat that much of their meal, and that’s because they have enjoyed it so much,” Burgess said. “There is also nothing processed in the foods for kids. Everything is made from scratch. We use a lot of locally grown, fresh produce.”

The attention to detail has made FoxGardin Family a popular lunch and dinner destination. The Fortville location opened in 2015 and has also garnered a strong following.

“We were very crowded at the Fortville location as soon as we opened, which was a nice problem to have,” Shelton said. “We didn’t want to send anyone away. The Fortville and Fishers communities have been overwhelming with the support they have given us in both locations. They keep coming back.”

Shelton noted that Mama Jane’s homemade pies have also been hugely popular with a wide variety of guests.

“We get a lot of people telling us they love all the pies that are made from scratch,” Shelton said.

Zach Barnes, managing partner of FoxGardin, said many of the drinks are ready for the guests when they walk in the door.

“We really have made an effort to get to know our guests, find out what they like to eat and drink and really get to know all of the great families who come in here,” Barnes said. “We promise you will have a great meal in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Every table in the new FoxGardin Family has a different color. The tables were done by Jason Miller of reNew Design and Construct, a Fortville business. Burgess said the look of the new restaurant was a true group effort.

“Every one of us had a part in the construction of the restaurant,” Burgess said. “We wanted it to be as family-friendly and welcoming as possible, and we have succeeded.”

About Matt Keating

Matt Keating is an instructional assistant and tutor at Amy Beverland Elementary and a freelance writer. He previously worked for The Indianapolis Star, NUVO and Montgomery Zukerman (MZD) Public Relations.